I've rebased my Wellington in India forces onto 30mm MDF squares to swap rules from Men who would be Kings to Washington’s Army, a set written for 15mm miniatures.

The Arcot road campaign follows the British advance through Madras, rather than a succession of small colonial skirmishes. It relies on the rules' emphasis on army strength, commanders and the consequences of losing a battle. These Peter Pig rules suit my "advance along the Arcot Road" much better.

Formerly the 2nd Madras won at Baddass meeting the Sultan's French-trained troops, and with Ranjit sensibly hiding behind his officer while Major "Shut-up" Williams did the shouting. Ranjit informed us that the regiment will advance to Koya next, with the Bhuna of Dahl and his fanatics threatening up the road, while the Mad Fakir is stirring things up around Chinta.

So this is a six-game campaign, beginning immediately after the battle at Baddass.

The Arcot Road Campaign

The Further Adventures of Ranjit Ram, 2nd Madras Native Infantry

Not every game is designed as a straight forward battle. The Sultan has 24 European-trained Guard bases, masses of less reliable troops, cavalry and heavy guns. If he simply deploys everything, every time, the British force would eventually be crushed.

Instead, the Sultan's army is reported as somewhere ahead, and the British have to discover what he is doing.

The 2nd Madras have a grenadier Company, a light company and four regular companies (one of these being veterans in slightly taller hats - prestige is by hat size in the 2nd Madras.)

Two guns, a troop of Native horse and a company of the 102nd Foot complete Colonel Reynolds force.

The six games therefore become:

Game	Location	Scenario
1	Baddass → Koya	The Road is Blocked
2	Koya	The Green Turbans
3	Chinta	The Mad Fakir
4	Ramesh / river crossings	The Sultan's Cavalry
5	Nagar / Nindra	The Long Road
6	The Arcot Road beyond Nindra	The Sultan's Army

1. The Road is Blocked

Baddass–Koya

This is the immediate sequel to my 2018 battle. The 2nd Madras has won at Baddass, but the victory has not destroyed the Sultan's army. Instead, the British advance cautiously towards Koya.

The intelligence is confusing. Some villagers claim the Sultan's army has withdrawn. Others say a huge body of cavalry has crossed the road.

And Ranjit Ram has heard the particularly worrying rumour that the Bhuna of Dahl is approaching with his fanatical followers.

British objective

Get the column through Koya and establish a camp beyond it.

Sultan's objective

Stop the British reaching Koya.

Forces

British

2nd Madras Native Infantry: 12–16 bases initially
Remaining Sepoys arrive progressively
European British line regiment company
Cavalry
1–2 guns

Sultan

6–8 militia/levy bases
4–6 European-trained Guard
Bhuna's fanatics: 4–6 bases
2–3 cavalry
possibly one gun

The important thing is that the Sultan doesn't need to defeat the British. He merely needs to delay them.

Special feature

The road is the British lifeline.

If the British spend too long fighting, more Sultanate troops arrive from Koya.

I'd have a simple random arrival table:

At the end of each British turn:

1–2 — nothing
3–4 — 2 militia arrive
5 — cavalry arrive
6 — Guard arrive

That gives exactly the sort of uncertainty that works with solo play.

Randi Ram, Sepoy
Comic sub plot - the Ranjit Ram moment

Ranjit discovers that the "fanatics" aren't particularly keen on standing in front of British muskets.

Unfortunately, he discovers this after they have charged him.

The Game

The road is blocked by the Bhuna's fanatical levies.

And a big old gun

The Madras Horse swing out onto the flank

Facing the Bhuna's camel lads

A mounted fight kicks off

Won by the Madras Cavalry

The centre closes on the levies having shot down the gun

But the Bhuna and his flankers come on, with devastating fire.

It's getting tense.

Randi hides in the back row

The third company suffers but drives in the Bhuna's flankers.

And Major Tudor rides out to hold the flank.

But the Madras Horse swing behind the natives lines.

A charge and they rout. The Bhuna is captured.

In a last desperate gamble the Natives throw in more fanatics from the flank

Lots of shouting

Seen off by Lt Grahame's Company. Randi stands bravely behind his fellow sepoys.

I’ve kept Washington’s Army almost entirely intact, hoping that the same simple engine can represent an Indian battle without turning it into a completely different ruleset.

The main amendment is make is to recognise that the Madras Army was a mixed force: European regulars, drilled sepoys, locally raised militia/levies, irregular cavalry and artillery. The important distinction is therefore training and battlefield reliability, rather than trying to give every Indian troop type exotic special rules.

WASHINGTON'S ARMY for MADRAS INDIA 1790S

THE GOLDEN RULE

Motivate → Roll AP → Spend AP → Fight → Morale

1. THE TURN

1. Morale
Test units carrying casualty markers, then reform.

2. Commanders
Roll for new commanders and move commanders 3D6.

Determination: 2D6 − Brigade Commander − General
−1 per 3"

Use the Indian commander table below.

3. Opportunity Fire
Short-range opportunity shooting applies from this point.

4. Automatic AP
Arriving units, cavalry and guns may act automatically.

5. MOTIVATE UNITS
A Brigade Commander attempts to motivate units until he fails.

6. FIGHT AS IT HAPPENS
Resolve shooting, assaults and morale immediately.

7. Reinforcements

8. Flanking rolls — attacker only.

9. Reset command bases.

2. MOTIVATION → ACTION POINTS

Troop	Motivation
Raw	3
Average	2
Veteran	1

Apply the modifiers from the playsheet.

1790s INDIAN COMMANDER

Roll	Commander
1–2	Poor
3–4	Capable
5–6	Excellent

Special commander types

European/British officer: use the normal commander values.

Experienced Officer: use the normal table +1

Newly raised/local commander: −1 to Motivation.

Mounted commander: automatic success when with mounted troops.

I've not given Indian commanders any automatic disadvantage.

Motivation modifiers

2,3 = Automatic fail
11,12 = Automatic success

+1 per complete 3"

+1 Unit or commander in woods/buildings (max 1)

+1 Intervening enemy or own infantry/cavalry (max 1)

+2 Unit and commander separated by wood/building/river/hill (max 1)

IF MOTIVATION SUCCEEDS

Unit rolls 1D6 = AP

Everyone gets at least 1 AP.

+1 if Veteran quality
OR Brigade Commander is with the unit
(not both)

−1 if Raw

−2 if Disordered when AP are rolled

Field guns

−1 if damaged field gun.

Negative result = 1 AP.

Then spend AP on actions.

3. SPENDING AP

Action	AP
Move 1 increment	1
Infantry 1st shot	1
Infantry 2nd/final shot	1
Facing change	1
Remove Disorder attempt	1
Wheel 45°	2
Expand/contract frontage	1
Pass through another unit	1
Field gun shot	2
Limber/unlimber	1
Cavalry mount/dismount	1

Movement

Infantry 3" per increment

Mounted cavalry 4"

Field guns maximum 2 increments

Road column: +2"

Indian addition: Elephant/gun trains

Elephants, camp followers or large baggage trains are scenario rules, rather than adding them to the core QRS.

4. TROOP TYPES — MADRAS INDIA

This is the most important addition.

BRITISH / EUROPEAN REGULARS

Veteran or Average

Use normal British Line Infantry rules.

These represent European regiments and other highly trained European troops.

MADRAS SEPOYS

Average

Well-drilled Company infantry armed with musket and bayonet.

Special Rule — Native Drill

Madras Sepoys may use the normal infantry shooting and assault rules.

They receive no penalty simply for being sepoys.

This is important. They aren't militia with exotic weapons; they're trained Company infantry.

Veteran Madras Sepoys may therefore exist and use the normal Veteran benefits.

EUROPEAN-TRAINED INDIAN GUARDS

Veteran

For troops such as the Sultan's European-trained guards.

Special Rule — Steady

Once per battle, when taking a Morale Test, ignore one additional bad modifier.

Otherwise use normal Veteran rules.

MILITIA

Average or Raw

Use the normal militia penalties.

Militia may be Average if reasonably trained, Raw if hastily raised.

LEVIES

Raw

Normal Raw rules.

No additional special rules.

This makes th Sultan's army particularly easy to model:

European-trained guards → Veteran

Militia → Average

Levies → Raw

Cavalry → appropriate cavalry quality

5. SHOOTING

Infantry / Cavalry

1D6 per base in the FRONT RANK

5–6 = HIT

Range	Short	Long
Musket infantry	4"	10"
Riflemen	4"	14"
Cavalry firearms	3"	6"

Indian musketry

Madras Sepoys use the normal musket range and shooting rules.

No special reduction.

The Company drilled sepoy was expected to deliver controlled musket fire.

Re-rolls

Quality	Re-roll
Raw	1
Average	1–2
Veteran	1–3

Saving Throw

3–6 = SAVE

Failed save:

½ base lost

6. DISORDER

A unit becomes DISORDERED for reasons including:

6 casualty markers
After a fight/morale test
Certain terrain movement
Passing through another unit
Other listed disorder causes

DISORDERED UNIT

−2 AP when AP are rolled.

Remove Disorder

Spend 1 AP

4–6 = Disorder removed

7. "CHARGE!"

Before an assault reaches the enemy:

FALTER TEST

Both sides roll 2D6 + modifiers.

Attacker wins by 5+

TARGET ROUTS

Attacker scores higher

Charge succeeds → fight immediately

Equal or attacker scores lower

Infantry stops + becomes DISORDERED

Cavalry retires D6+1"

The playsheet contains the full list of Falter modifiers.

Remember:

support • commanders • veterans • formation • disorder • terrain • flank/rear

8. THE FIGHT

Count all bases in the unit.

Start with:

+1D6 per base

Then add/subtract modifiers.

BIG BONUSES

+2D6 per supporting friendly unit within 6"
(max 2 units)

+2D6 if you passed the Falter Test

+2D6 mounted cavalry fighting in open

+2D6 Indian troops in woods/marsh

+2D6 line infantry

BIG PENALTIES

−2D6 disordered / battered / loose

−3D6 attacked from flank/rear

−2D6 militia or dismounted cavalry

−2D6 if only 1–2 base frontage

MINIMUM

Everyone gets at least 2D6.

9. INDIA - TERRAIN

LOCAL TERRAIN

Indian troops defending or fighting in terrain familiar to them may receive:

+2D6 in woods, marsh, scrub or other difficult local terrain.

This applies to Indian troops only, unless the scenario says otherwise.

It gives] a useful difference between a sepoy battalion defending a village or grove and a European line regiment manoeuvring across open ground without creating a dozen special rules.

10. AFTER THE FIGHT

Compare casualties.

Normally the side suffering more casualties loses.

WINNER

No morale test.

BUT becomes DISORDERED.

LOSER

Take a MORALE TEST.

Both sides become DISORDERED.

11. MORALE

Roll the appropriate number of D6.

Every 4, 5 or 6 = FAIL

Bad things add dice

casualty markers
Raw
Disorder
artillery casualties
battered
enemy in flank/rear
lost fight

Good things remove dice

− Veteran

− mounted commander nearby

− Brigade Commander with unit

− defending a linear obstacle

RESULT

Fails	Result
0	Hurrah! — unaffected
1	Steady — limited movement
2	Fall Back — D6+1"
3	Retreat — D6+1" + losses
4+	ROUT

IF FIGHTING

3+ failures = ROUT

A routed unit is removed and causes 2 morale tests.

12. CAVALRY — 1790s INDIA

REGULAR / DRILLED CAVALRY

Average

Use normal mounted cavalry rules.

IRREGULAR CAVALRY

Raw or Average

Use normal cavalry rules but treat them as Raw if poorly controlled.

Their advantage is therefore mobility, not a magical combat bonus.

This makes a nice distinction between a disciplined Mysorean/Company-style cavalry unit and a mass of locally raised horse.

13. ARTILLERY — 1790s INDIA

A modest amendment.

FIELD GUNS

Normal rules:

2 AP to fire

Maximum 2 movement increments

HEAVY GUNS

The Sultan's heavier pieces:

2 AP to fire
1 movement increment maximum
Cannot fire after moving more than 1 increment
Cannot limber/unlimber and fire in the same turn

This gives the big Indian batteries some character without requiring a new artillery system.

14. BRITISH MADRAS PROTECTORATE

Force	Quality
European British infantry	Veteran/Average
Madras Sepoys	Average
6th Company Veterans	Veteran
European-trained Indian Guards	Veteran
Indian regular infantry	Average
Militia	Average/Raw
Levies	Raw
Regular cavalry	Average
Irregular cavalry	Raw/Average
British/Company artillery	Average/Veteran
Heavy Indian batteries	Average

⭐ 30-SECOND MADRAS REMINDER

COMMANDER
↓
MOTIVATE
↓
D6 AP
↓
MOVE / SHOOT / MANOEUVRE
↓
CHARGE? → FALTER TEST
↓
FIGHT
↓
MORALE
↓
DISORDER

And the three numbers:

3" infantry move
5–6 shooting hit
4–6 morale fail

And the three Indian principles:

SEPOY = trained infantry

GUARD = veteran

LEVY = raw

Thursday, 17 September 2026